| Director | Tom Walls |
|---|---|
| Producer | Max Schach |
| Writer | Ben Travers |
| Starring |
|
| Music | Van Phillips |
| Cinematography | Jack E. Cox |
| Editing | Lynn Harrison |
| Studio | Capitol Film Corporation |
| Distributor | General Film Distributors |
| Released | January 1938 |
| Runtime | 74 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Second Best Bed is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Tom Walls and starring Walls, Jane Baxter and Veronica Rose.[1][2] The screenplay was by Ben Travers, based on an earlier story of his, and concerns a newly married couple who soon run into domestic difficulties when the wife refuses to obey her husband's every order.[3]
Cast
- Tom Walls as Victor Garnett
- Jane Baxter as Patricia Lynton
- Veronica Rose as Jenny Murdoch
- Carl Jaffe as Georges Dubonnet
- Greta Gynt as Yvonne
- Edward Lexy as Murdoch
- Tyrell Davis as Whittaker
- Mae Bacon as Mrs Whittaker
- Ethel Coleridge as Mrs Knuckle
- Davy Burnaby as Lord Kingston
- Martita Hunt as Mrs Mather
- Gordon James as Judge
- Charlotte Leigh as Miss Boolbread
- Denier Warren as umpire
- Peter Bull as tennis match spectator
Production
It was an independent production made at Shepperton Studios with sets were designed by the art director Walter Murton. Walls and Travers had worked together on the Aldwych farces.
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Written by Ben Travers in characteristic vein the story is developed with daring and risqué dialogue and a full quota of double entendres. 'The situations are equally piquant, and leave little to the imagination. It must be admitted that Tom Walls as director shows skill and agility in skating over the thinnest possible ice, while as star he gets across outrageous remarks with a disarming urbanity and adroitness. He is, undoubtedly, in his element, and gives a finished and effective performance. Both Jane Baxter and Veronica Rose support him ably, and small part players are thoroughly competent."[4]
Kine Weekly wrote: "Breezy up-to-date marital comedy featuring Tom Walls in a made-to-measure role. The humour, which is from the pen of Ben Travers, is not exactly kindergarten, but in spite of occasional ribaldry the fun seldom fails to strike a popular note. The star contributes a characteristic performance in the lead, the feminine co-stars contrast effectively, and the support is well up to standard."[5]
Leslie Halliwell wrote "Cheerful star comedy with a touch of sophistication."[6]
References
- ^ "Second Best Bed". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
- ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | SECOND BEST BED (1938)". 2009-01-13. Archived 13 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
- ^ Lanier, Douglas (2006). "Film Spin-offs and Citations: On the Virtues of Illegitimacy". Shakespeares After Shakespeare: An Encyclopedia of the Bard in Mass Media and Popular Culture. Vol. One. Burt, Richard (ed.). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 307. ISBN 9780313331169.
- ^ "Second Best Bed". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 5 (49): 11. 1 January 1938.
- ^ "Second Best Bed". Kine Weekly. 251 (1606): 27. 27 January 1938.
- ^ Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide. 7th ed. London: Paladin. p. 892. ISBN 0586088946.
External links
- Second Best Bed at IMDb